ZooDystopia
by volpereborn
Summary: A story based off of the original concept of the movie
1. Chapter 1

This is the story of Zootopia that was the original version of the story, back when it was pitched as "Savage". This story is based off of the original concept created by Byron Howard and Matthias Lechner.

Part 1

*plink* * plink* *plink*

"What the He-" *plink* * plink*

Nick Wilde opened his eyes. He had been happily asleep but a few moments ago until he felt something cold and wet hit him square between the eyes. The pipe above his bed had a hairline crack going down its length and small droplets of water were leaking. Awake now, he stretched for a bit and after a while convinced himself to get out of bed. At least, it was a bed to him; his bed was in fact actually a large clothing drawer that served as his bed. Sadly, a full sized bed for 1 was not a luxury he could afford at the moment.

As Nick stood up out of bed, he was still tired enough to forget the pipe above him which resulted in him hitting his head with an audible CRACK. He clutched his head and saw stars for a second, the pain was sharp but brief... thankfully. Nick looked to his left at his alarm clock and saw that he was actually up much earlier than he wanted to be. He took a moment to weigh the pros and cons of going back to sleep but decided that getting an early start for the day was for the best.

Stumbling his way to the bathroom he made sure to carefully make his way around the many buckets that surrounded his living space. They were set up to catch the water falling from the many pipes that lined the ceiling of his room. For some it would be odd to live like this but hey rent is expensive and if some bear is willing to let him live in their basement for dirt-cheap rent, then some leaky pipes were only a minor problem. Nick climbed into the bathroom and took a cold shower. Living in the Rainforest District made things rather humid and he preferred to start his days not panting the heat away.

As Nick showered he made a mental checklist of today's tasks. Wake up, get ready, eat something for once, go to the doctor, and get to work, etc. "What a bother" Nick muttered to himself as he dried himself off. He continued his morning routine and finished by putting on his standard attire, nice slacks and a shirt with tie. As he put on his tie he found his hand lingering around his neck, touching the shock collar fastened there. These "tame collars" were required on all predators in the city, while being very bulky and annoying to wear they also itched like crazy. Nick however had a secret technique he liked to use to ease its annoyance. He took a small tube labeled NUMBING CREAM EXTRA STRENGTH from the medicine cabinet and squeezed a small amount on his fingertips. Be then rubbed his fingers around his neck and within seconds he felt nothing and was good for the next couple of hours.

Leaving the bathroom and entering his kitchen, Nick opened his mini fridge and grabbed a small cricket flavored energy bar. Tearing it open, he sat at his diminutive table and read the news on his phone. He had just opened up Zoogle when he received a phone call. Before he could say "Who on heck is calling me at 6 in the morning?" Nick checked the caller ID and saw that if was from none other than his friend Honey. He swiped to answer the call and put the phone up to his ear.

"Hello Hon-"

"NICK I'VE DONE IT, I'VE CRACKED THE CODE!"

"Oh really, you finally cracked the code."

"YES, I'VE FINALLY DONE IT."

"Tell me then, what has the great conspiracy theorist, Honey Badger, discovered in her research?"

"NICK, I'M SERIOUS THIS TIME I'VE ACTUALLY DONE IT!"

"Oh I believe you, just like I believed you the last ten times. Now tell me what it is you….discovered?"

"(Sigh) OK here it goes. You know how all of society is about people being together. Its all about following others and being safe, right? Following the Covenant of Coexistence so we don't kill each other, right? Listen to me, who do we know who flock together? Hhhhmmmm? Who always sticks together for safety?"

" Let me guess…it's the sheep isn't it Honey?"

"YES! YOU UNDERSTAND NICK I'M SO GLAD! Think of the implications Nick! It all makes sense now, the sheep on the dollar, the ancient people of DunBroch, the flying saucers, all of it,Nick, all of it! "

" Hmmm, yes that sounds great Honey but hey listen I've got a busy day today. So how about you call me later and we can talk all about it. Okay?"

"Oh yeah…OK sure Nicky. Well...talk later then!" (BEEP)

Nick put down his phone. While Honey was a nut, she did keep him entertained… and did his taxes. So it wasn't so bad that he sometimes received odd texts and calls from her. Checking the time, Nick got up from the table and made his way to the stairs at the other end of the room, making sure to dump the wrapper of the energy bar in his slightly overfilled trash can. Nick opened the door right before the rain emitters turned on and the whole of the Rainforest District reflected the light of the morning sun. Just as he took a long deep breath of the air the rain started. With seconds to spare Nick managed to get into the car just before the downpour hit him. With adrenaline pumping, he started his car and backed out on to the street. "This is too much BS in the morning for my taste," Nick muttered to himself.

Nick zoomed past the early traffic of the rainforest district and arrived at the doctor's office located downtown ahead of schedule. Much to his surprise, he was able to get parking on the side of the street. As he slid coins into the meter he stared for a second at the coin in his paw. FAUNA CITY was proudly stamped on one side with the other side being stamped with a ram's head. Catching himself in his momentary insanity, Nick slid the last coin into the meter.

"I can't believe she's getting to me,"

The doctor's office was packed with all sorts of animals. Some big, some tall, some well kept, while others smelled like they needed a bath. Wedged in between a buffalo and a large tiger was Nick. Wondering how long this was to be his life, he took a look at his number in line which proudly read #89. He found some comfort in this for a second until the loudspeaker crackled to life and said "NOW SERVING #6". Nick groaned and got comfortable.

After waiting for what seemed eternity and getting emotionally invested in a rather trashy paternity test show, Nick dislodged himself from between the two sleeping mammals and entered the doctor's office. There waiting for him was his assigned doctor for the day, a portly hippopotamus named Dr. Goldberg. The Doctor was faster than he looked and took no time in taking Nicks Vitals. Nick barely had time to change into the sterile exam gown before the doctor started his exam. As he was invading the poor fox's personal space in the way only a doctor could, he asked him basic questions.

"Name?"

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, Sir."

"Height?"

"4 ft tall, sir."

"Weight?"

"80 Lbs, sir."

"Age?"

"32, sir."

"Alright, sit here for a moment."

Dr. Goldberg went to his desk and wrote down Nick's information on a sheet of paper. Then after he was done he went over to a cabinet and started to rummage around for a minute. Nick's heart started to beat a bit faster because he new exactly what the doctor was getting. Dr. Goldberg returned to Nick with an odd contraption that looked like kitchen tongs. "Look down please," said Dr. Goldberg. Nick excitedly bent forward, this was the one thing that made his routine check ups worth his time...When the collar finally came off! Dr. Goldberg had trouble attaching the device to the collar but when he did get it on he made on large movement and with that the collar snapped off.

It landed with a small thud in Nicks lap. Freedom came with a price however, now his head felt lighter. "Alright, you can straighten back up now" Dr. Goldberg said. Nick stood up straight and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Oh great and now his neck looked too long. Nick chuckled to himself, here he was in the few minutes of freedom from the collar and instead of enjoying it he was critiquing his own appearance. "I really have gotten to a new low" he said to himself. He brought his paw up to his neck and touched it. His numbing cream had worn off and he could actually feel his neck. The fur had started to wear thin and there was a slightly noticeable ring around his neck. As he rested his paw on his neck he got this really good feeling, like scratching an itch, which caused him to roll his eyes back in pleasure. "Enjoy it while it lasts," said Dr. Goldberg. Nick quickly brought his hand back to his lap and averted eye contact. He could feel his face become red in fear and anger at himself for dropping his guard. "Don't be like that fox, I'm sure that thing is awful to wear but the law is the law," Dr. Goldberg said. They continued with the rest of the exam without either of the two speaking.

"The law is the law," Nick grumbled to himself as the collar was wrapped around his neck and snapped back on him.

Nick left the office at around lunch. With his stomach growling he walked up to his car but stopped when he saw a large ram police officer was writing him a ticket.

"Woah hold up, I still got 30 seconds on that"

"30 seconds till it ends and your not in it starting the car? Pretty sure this is grounds for writing a ticket"

"But…but!"

"'But' nothing fox you'll take the ticket and that's it!"

"You cant do this, this is illegal!"

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it fox? Are you going to pounce on me? Are you going to attack me? Oh I'm sure that will be rich, imagine it 'I need back up a savage fox has attacked me! Officer down! Officer down!' Heehaw, yeah I'd like to see you try."

Nick brought a paw to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, right between his eyes. There was no reasoning with this ram so he might as well just accept it. The ram continued writing the ticket and placed it on his windshield.

"You have a good day now."

"Yeah thanks a lot."

"Oh fox by the way."

"Wha-" *BZZZZZZZZZZT *

The ram had pulled out a tazer and turned it on at the exact second as Nick had turned. The loud sound as well as the sparks in his corner of vision caused Nick to scream and jump, raising his heart rate and making the shock collar fill his body with electricity. Nick clutched to the side of his car for support. "Bastard!" He said through gritted teeth.

"Hehe, yeah but at least I'm not some mangy fox like you"

The ram tipped his hat at Nick and walked casually down the road. Nick took a couple of seconds for his heart rate to go down. He stood up straight and fixed his clothes. He might have to deal with the abuse but at least he won't look bad whilst doing it. He took a look at the parking ticket and when he did his eyes nearly popped right outta his head. The ram had written him am almost $100 ticket. Nick shut his eyes for a minute and calmed himself. It was nearly 2pm and he already was done with the day. "Not even at work yet" Nick grumbled to himself.

Nick got into his car and opened the glove box. He took out a small emergency bottle of numbing cream and reapplied it to his neck. He disliked this city with its BS rules and its BS people who abuse them. He took one look at him self in the rear-view mirror...

"The law is the law."

Nick started the car.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Still feeling a bit miffed, Nick decided that it was best for him to try to unwind before he got to work. Turning on the car radio, he cycled through the usual static until he found what he was comfortable with. It was a light and airy song about people trying to find the best parts of life. It made being stuck in traffic almost bearable, almost. No sooner had Nick left downtown did he encounter the all too familiar experience of traffic. Checking his watch, he decided that he wouldn't be that late to work, he put on his sunglasses and got comfortable.

Fauna City was pretty, that was for sure. The way the buildings all have this almost organic feel to them. Each one unique in it's own way and seems to dazzle and amaze more than the next one. Every building eclipsing and encompassing you, making your feel that you were being simultaneously hugged and looked down upon...well at least if you cared. Being a fox meant having people look down on you all the time and not always because of height. Nick averted his eyes from the scenery around him and focused back on traffic.

Running a mental checklist of today's tasks, he was astoundingly ahead of schedule. Yet still, as much as he had accomplished already, he still had work to do. Nick was snapped out of his daydreaming when the car in front of him moved slightly. Getting filled with hope, Nick nudged his foot on the gas, only to have to release it immediately as the car in front stopped abruptly. Feeling his grasp on sanity start to be weakened, Nick started fidgeting to pass the time. He tried to find a radio station that didn't play repetitive music, he tried counting all of the individual hairs on his paw, he pretended his fingers where the legs of a man skating on the tops of cars. Eventually his forehead became friends with the steering wheel as he found himself literally being bored to sleep.

Nick was brought back to sanity when the cars behind him honked at him. Looking up, he saw that traffic had started to move and with a tear from his eye he sped up. Going over the large bridge over the bay of Fauna City, Nick could just make out his "office building". Or at least that is what he called it. Almost exiting the bridge, Nick could see the parking lot where his office was located; more importantly he could also see that a large and sizable line had already started to form. Nick cursed to himself. As he exited the bridge and took a quick turn left, he entered the parking lot. Rounding the corner he could see that the line had actually gone down the block and under the bridge. Feeling his stomach drop, he hurried and parked his car in the parking spaced labeled "THE BOSS".

As Nick walked up to the small building in the middle of the parking lot that had a modest sign stating "CLINIC", he could see that the crowd had already started to get restless. Predators of all sizes and backgrounds where waiting in line, some of them patiently while others where going mad from clawing at their collars. As he entered the small clinic a fat bespectacled cheetah wearing a lab coat tackled him.

"Oh my god thank goodness you're finally here! Nick I swear I thought these animals were going to attack me. I thought there was going to be a riot!"

"Clawhauser,"

"Its just that its almost 4 and the doors aren't even open yet. I saw people checking their watches and tapping their foot. Some people were even looking though the window to see if there was anyone there and I got scared."

"Clawhauser,"

"I mean what am I going to do if they try to break in? I'm just one person-"

"CLAWHAUSER!"

"Yes Nick?"

"Couple things, one get off me, two don't worry I am here now, three its only 3:30 we don't open till 4:30 so how about you calm down and let's get this show on the road?"

"Oh yeah…sure…right with you boss!"

Clawhauser got off of Nick and helped him up. He was large for a cheetah, well actually any animal really. Years of stress eating and a sedentary life style had gotten to him. In spite of his shortcomings, he was a valuable and trustworthy companion to Nick as he knew his way around people. His collar was tight and caused his neck fat to bulge around the band. Nick brushed himself off and watched Clawhauser poke around the medicine on display.

"Hey Spots! I just said be ready for work tomorrow, I didn't say come in costume."

"I don't know I thought it would make this place look official. Oh here we go."

Clawhauser found a small pill bottle on the shelf and pulled it out. There was a series of clicking noises and the whole of the back wall swung in, revealing a tunnel going down. Taking off his sunglasses, Nick told Clawhauser that he would message him when to open up and descended down the stairs. Using his phone flashlight, Nick walked down further and further into the earth. Each step down the tunnel made a creaking noise that edged Nick's teeth. Nick knew that he had reached the bottom when he could see bright lights coming from the end of the tunnel.

The bottom of the stairs opened up into a large room that held the true nature of the clinic and if by chance you were not able tell from the sight alone, a large wooden sign hung in front of the entrance proudly stating "WILDE TIMES". There in this great room was a theme park, by predators for predators. This was a place where no predator had to worry about being judged, a place where predators from all over the city came to relax.

This was Nick's life's work and this was the only place in the city where he truly felt happy.

"Daddy's home" Nick whispered as he walked passed the attractions. There was everything that a stressed predator could want here. A roller coaster, a maze entirely in the dark, a huge and twisting water slide that went up to ceiling, you name it, this place had it. The employees of Wilde Times who Nick fondly nicknamed his "Wildlings" waved to him as he passed by on his way to his office. There all mostly requited from Clawhauser, many of them being his friends, but some of them had to come from more unsavory sources. But hey, when you are running an illegal theme park in the middle of the city, you take what you get.

Nick's office was located at the very back of the park inside of a bungalow. He slid his keys into the door and pushed it open. There inside waiting for him was a Dhole named Sky, who was the resident repair woman who kept Wilde Times running. Upon seeing him, she immediately started talking about all of the problems that had been fixed and what still needed to be done. Nick listened but he was tired so most of what she said went in one ear and out the other. For the most part Nick just smiled and nodded occasionally when he thought appropriate. Sky finished her report and then left leaving Nick alone in his office. Nick slumped into his chair. He let out a long sigh and opened the safe underneath his desk. He took out a device that was the same model as the one the doctor had and placed it behind his head. With a click, Nick removed his collar and placed it on the desk. For many years, Nick had imagined a future where predators were free to live without being collared. Nick could remember what life was like before, back when he was a child. He hoped to return to that not so distant past, the one where predators never worried about their speech or emotions. Creating Wilde Times gave him and everyone else the opportunity to experience that hope every day. Even though it was the riskiest and most dangerous thing he had ever gotten himself into, he never once regretted getting into it. He gave himself a minute to rest and then he stood up...Checking his watch, Nick took the device in hand and left his office.

" It's Show Time!"

Nick gathered his employees in a circle for the tradition of the manager's pep talk.

"Alright you guys know the drill, we've got a long line of predators out there looking for a good time. I want you all to give it your best out there. Sky is fixing the roller coast right now and it should be operational in...?"

"2 hours sir," said Sky.

"In about 2 hours from now, until then direct people to do something else. We've got a new shipment of snacks from our friends in Tundratown so we should be good for now. Tiny you are on guard duty tonight because Jeff is sick. Tiny, it is important that everyone who leaves has to put back on his or her collar; we don't need anyone being arrested for our mistake. Nor do we need them to blab about it to the police. Are we clear?"

With the speech finished everyone went to their prospective stations. Nick handed the collar device to the large bear named Tiny and then he went back to his office. It wasn't long before the park had become packed and the gleeful shouts of delight from the patrons came through the walls of the bungalow. Nick turned on the radio and started to look through the stack of papers on his desk. Time went by at a snail's pace but eventually he started to see some progress. Nick had just about finished the last financial report when he received a message on his phone. Looking down at it he could see that it was from Finnick, a long time friend of his. Unlocking his phone, Nick read the message...

"Drinks later, after you are done with work?"

"Sure, I'll come over."

"Good, make sure to bring some."

Nick was about to respond when he received a call. After seeing who it was from Nick nearly fell out of his chair in order to answer it quickly enough.

"Kozlov! Big K! Man with the golden voice! How are things?"

"Enough of the Frivolities Nicholas, I have business vith you. Vhat do you know of government goons?"

"Nothing, well nothing important, why do you ask?"

"This morning vhen I have men send supplies to you they vere stopped by government goons. Asking about things like permits or vhat nyat. My men managed to talk their vay out of the situation but I fear they got look at license plate."

"Well that sounds…that sounds bad."

"It is TERRIBLE Nicholas, if they snoop around and find theme park, you vill go to jail and even vorse than zhat you park vill be shut down and I vill lose out money from park."

"Now, lets not get…too worried here Mr. Kozlov sir, there is no way anyone would come looking here sir. We look like a legitimate business from the outside heh .. my buddy Clawhauser even makes use of his medical degree to make the clinic look legit. Plus let me remind you that were are in the middle of what looks to be an abandoned fish cannery underneath a bridge. No one would come looking here."

Nick tried his best to remain calm. There was a long silence on the phone. Nick thought that Kozlov had hung up on him for a second before Kozlov responded.

"Dah, you're right Nicholas. I'm sorry for troubling you. It's been long day and Tanya has yet to finish dinner."

"See nothing to be worried about Sir, you just need to eat and you'll feel better about it ok?"

"Dah Nicholas Dah, I vill call you tomorrow and ve vill discuss tomorrow."

And with that Kozlov hung up the phone. Nick slumped into his chair and rubbed his eyes. Today was just not on his side. "First the ram and now this, give me a break" Nick said aloud. Feeling the onset of a headache, Nick reached behind him to a mini fridge and pulled out a soda. Pressing it to his temple, he tried to think of a response to Finnick. Not thinking of anything Nick just decided to leave it alone and deal with it later.

Later that night after the park had closed and the patrons had left. Nick left his office and greeted the line of his employees, making sure to nap his collar back on on his way out. After counting through the considerable amount of money that was on the table, he took out and divided up the employee's payment for the day. He took his share and then put the rest into a briefcase that was handled by a bear only known as "Kozlov's assistant". The bear took the money and headed out the door with the rest of the employees. Nick took out his set of keys and walked towards the door to the tunnel. As he passed by the attractions he couldn't help but look around one last time for the day. He waved to Sky as he went through park security. Nick felt a small bit of pain in him as the lights behind him turned off one by one. He had the same feeling every time he closed for the night; he always hated it. Ascending the stairs now, Nick walked slowly, savoring every creak of the staircase. He didn't want to go but he couldn't live here, he preferred to keep his work and private life separate so as best to hide in plain sight. As Nick reached the top of the stairs, he could see that Clawhauser was still in the clinic waving good-bye to the last of the employees.

"Boy, it sure was busy today wasn't it Nick?"

"Yeah it was Spots, hey listen what are you planning to do tonight?"

"Nothing really, I was just going to go back home."

"Do me a favor pal, drive around for a bit before you do."

"Well…sure but why?"

"Nothing, just…it's nothing forget I even said anything"

Nick left through the open door, which Clawhauser locked behind him. Nick went into his car and watched his friend leave. After making sure that no one was following Clawhauser, he turned on his car and left the clinic's parking lot. The drive to Finnick's apartment took Nick through the city. It was late enough where he didn't have to worry about traffic. The highway was empty for the most part and Nick sped along quicker than usual. Taking an exit, Nick focused his eyes on the road, not daring to look around him. Finnick lived in Sahara Square, which was outside of Downtown on the right side of the bay opposite of Savannah Central. The only way to get there was by going over a bridge that over looked one of the small islands called…Happytown. Originally just a small neighborhood of predators and prey, it would become the center of a major controversy which resulted in it becoming a predator only slum. Nick's grip tightened on the steering wheel. Happytown wasn't always a slum; at one time it was a beautiful neighborhood that flourished. "All good things have to come to an end" he thought. Nick pushed it out of his mind..best not to dwell on bad memories.

Nick reached Finnick's apartment in Sahara Square and knocked on the door. He heard some banging inside and a couple moments later the front door opened. Nick took the opportunity to have some fun at Finnick's expense. Playing dumb at first Nick pretended to look around at the interior of the apartment. He did this for a while until he felt a swift kick to his shin. Nick bent down to clutch at his knee, bringing himself eye level to Finnick. He wore a basic white tank top and sweat pants; his collar comically large against his small body.

"Ah! How is that any kind of way to greet your friend?!" Nick said.

"It's the 'over-used joke' greeting, I thought you would appreciate it."

"(gasp) Fair enough, fair enough."

"You brought the drinks?"

Nick held up the six-pack of canned cold brew coffee, Finnick's preferred drink of choice which Nick regularly brought him from work. Upon seeing them, the diminutive in size (but not attitude) fennec fox grabbed them with glee. Finnick then let Nick into his home. Finnick's bachelor pad was immaculate, furnished with all of the most expensive items he could buy.

"I take it your auto body shop is doing well? "

"Quite well" he said as a proud grin stretched across his muzzle. "What gave it away, the new sound system?"

"Well there's that but I was mainly referring to the painting on the wall of you as a viking holding a woman."

"Tch, don't be jealous because you don't have one."

"What makes you think I don't? I could have the best painter in the city on speed dial and you would never know it."

"Shut up, yes I would because you would tell me as soon as you got it."

"Ahhhh, you got me there."

The two foxes sat on the couch, watching television, discussing the day, Finnick's women troubles, as well as politics. The last one is more accurately described as Finnick ranting about Mayor Swinton and Nick letting him talk because it was funny to watch the little guy get worked up. Finnick drank can after can of the coffee, much to Nick's alarm. He couldn't possibly comprehend how a guy so little managed to drink so much of the stuff and still function normally. Nick once asked Finnick, to which his only response was "You don't understand, I need this, if I don't drink it my body will go into a coma to make up for not sleeping". Nick resolved to not bring it up again.

"Are you still having to deal with Kozlov?"

"You know I have to, the park wouldn't be able to be run with out his funding."

"Man that's BS you can do it without him."

"No I couldn't, I don't know any where to get the supplies I need and I don't know where I could get power without his generators."

"Man whatever...you could do it."

"No I couldn't, He might be a pain but he's manageable."

"I still don't get it."

"What? Having dreams with costs? Much like you can't find clothing your size and you have to look in the children's section?".

Nick got a pillow thrown at him.

"Shut up, no man I mean why you put up with it. If I was you, I would take the money and run."

"That's not an option for me," Nick said as he reached up to scratch at his neck.

The two friends talked for a long while and watched more television. They even ordered pizza, getting one so big they had to share it. They hung out until Nick checked the time and saw that it was 1 am. They bro-hugged each other and Nick went back to his car. Going back over to Happytown once more, Nick focused on the road. The lights of the slums passed both sides of his vision. He looked up for a second against his better judgement and looked around. He remembered this part, not that he wanted to. Nick looked back down, regretting the decision to come to Finnick's. There was minor late night traffic as Nick passed through downtown. The people in the clubs had just started to spill out and onto the streets; Nick had to abruptly slam on the breaks to avoid several drunkards who had fallen in the road. Luckily, a bouncer helped them up and Nick was able to speed along through Downtown.

Entering the Rainforest District, Nick turned on his windshield wipers and drove slowly in preparation for hitting the wall of humidity. There was an audible thud as he entered into the district and for a moment his vision was impaired as the entire windshield and interior of his car steamed up with condensation from the humidity. It was only for a second however and from then on Nick had no problems driving. The rain system had shut off for the night and Nick got to see the beauty of the Rainforest District. The sidewalks were glowing in the dark, revealing the pathways which snaked around the roots of the giant trees which made up the district. The sounds of a million bugs chirping all at once were a symphony to the ears. Which is why Nick was grateful his basement blocked out the sound. He already had the pipes keeping him up at night; he could only begin to imagine what life would be like with bugs included into it.

Nick pulled into the driveway of his house. Nick could hear the television as he walked up the steps into the house. He opened the door to discover that Bill had fallen asleep once more with the TV on, at least this time he was wearing pants. As Nick walked passed Bill, he took out a envelope labeled RENT from his pants and tossed it onto the coffee table. Walking down the steps into his room, Nick checked his phone for messages. The only one he had was from Honey, which was about sheep or something like that. Nick didn't care at this point, he was too tired. After a brief shower, Nick pulled out the drawer that served as his bed and laid down. The day had its highs and lows but all in all it wasn't terrible. Nick shut his eyes and within minutes he had fallen asleep. As visions of greener pastures went thought his head, Nick could never imagine where his future would take him.

It was probably for the best.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

 _"_ _Son….you have to promise me that no matter what happens…that no matter what you hear…you won't come out of this room…"_

 _"_ _Dad…I'm scared…what's happening outside…who are those people?"_

 _"_ _I know son…I know you're scared…but you have to promise me…"_

 _"_ _Dad…I…I…"_

 _"_ _You have to promise me son…"_

 _"_ _I promise…"_

 _"_ _I love you son…stay here…"_

 _"_ _Dad…Dad…DADDY!"_

Nick woke up in a cold sweat. He was breathing hard and he felt like he was being held down. As he raised himself up he could see that in his sleep he had gotten tangled in his blankets. Pulling his paw out from his side, he brought it to his face and rubbed his eyes. "What the hell?" Nick asked himself, still shocked at his dream. Nick knew the answer though; this was not a dream but a memory and a bad one at that. Getting out of bed Nick brought himself to the bathroom. Throwing cold water at his face he looked in to the mirror. His fur was messed up and his eyes were bloodshot. Nick braced himself on the sink and took several deep breaths. Feeling calm now, he pulled off his clothing and stepped into the shower. He should never have looked at Happytown.

He could feel the water flowing from the top of his head and down his body. He could feel his paws rubbing into his fur. He could feel the water go down his throat as he tried to alleviate his dry mouth. He tried in vain to forget his dream but it clung to him like a heavy, wet wool coat, souring his mood. Nick cursed to himself. Why did he agree to see Finnick? Why did he think it was a good idea? Why did he have to look up? "...Dad..." Nick said aloud for the first time in ages.

Nick sat at his kitchen table; he had decided that it was best if he just forget about this morning entirely. Now in clean clothing but still slightly wet, he ran a towel over his head. A package of instant noodles was boiling on the hotplate and its constant bubbling was what Nick was focusing intently on. Nick's foot tapped on the floor, his other foot was shaking to the point of vibrating the table. With his eyes closed firmly shut he whispered to himself "Nothing happened…nothing happened…I am fine…I am OK…". Nick went over to the pot of noodles and with a spoon in hand he ate directly from the pot.

With keys in hand, Nick stepped out of the house and got into his car. He had this sort of feeling of emptiness in the pit of his stomach that his breakfast didn't fill. Putting his sunglasses on, he started the car and backed out of the driveway. Determined to get rid of this feeling, Nick decided to resort to other methods of comfort. There was a coffee shop down the street that had just opened up and offered a new type of coffee size for someone of his stature. Nick wasn't much of a caffeine drinker, that was more of Finnick's thing, but this time he decided to make an exception. As he drove down the street he noticed a large white van pass him by. It was only for a second but Nick swore that the driver of the car was scowling at him. He shook his head, "I must be seeing things," he thought as he brought up a paw to scratch at his neck.

Nick entered Snarlbucks and waited in line. The scent of coffee wafted through the store and the constant gurgling of the foam machine being used revealed the tell-tale signs of a long line. The whole of the store moved and shuffled in a way that reminded Nick of a video he had seen in school of how the body worked. Everything worked in unison. Every action had a reaction. Nick fell so deep into this daydream that he didn't even noticed that it was his turn. The cashier was a young panther woman with dyed fur and multiple piercings. As she took Nick's order, he could see that she had painted her shock collar with swirling designs that reminded him of drops of rain hitting water. Once again he had fallen into a daydream; the sound of the person behind him clearing their throat brought him back to reality. Standing aside, Nick shrugged his shoulders. He really needed this coffee.

Nick exited the store with his iced coffee in hand. Putting on his sunglasses, he took out his keys as he walked towards his car, which was parked on the street down the block. It was a warm day today in the Rainforest District and the humidity was at an all time high. Nick folded his receipt and used it as a little fan but it was to no avail. As he walked down the street he noticed a homeless ferret sitting in a side alley to his right. As he approached, the man held out a cup and asked "Can you spare some change for a man with a broken leg". Looking down, Nick saw that the man's leg was indeed crooked to a severe angle. He pulled out a dollar coin and tossed it into the cup. "Bless you sir!" said the ferret as Nick walked past him.

There are multiple beliefs when it comes to blessings. What they are, where they come from, and who gets them. In the whole of the city, amongst all the cars on the road, there was a fox that was blessed to be stuck in traffic...again. It was a familiar feeling, stagnation, but that was to be expected when you live inside a large city. Especially when your place of work is on the other side of the city. Nick took his paws from the steering wheel and rubbed his eyes. As his vision sharpened he looked into the rear view mirror. There, several cars down from him, was a large white van. That, in it of it's self isn't suspicious but what really got the fur on the back of Nick's neck to stand up was the scowling driver. This time Nick was able to get a good view of the driver. Sitting in the drivers seat was a wolf or at least it looked like a wolf. There was something odd with the way it's face moved that just seemed… odd.

Nick was in the middle of the city at this point. He had been driving for the past half an hour constantly looking over his shoulder. There was something off about the van and its driver, something unsettling. As Nick drove throughout the city, the van had been following him. When he turned left, the van turned left. When Nick turned right, the van turned right. When Nick went in a large circle filled with many twists and turns, so did the van. The feeling in Nick's stomach was back now and worse than before. He looked at his phone's map application and thought for a moment. "Let's see if I can't shake this guy" Nick said to himself.

Nick sped up suddenly and got onto the highway. As can be expected the van behind him followed. Never releasing his foot from the gas pedal, Nick bobbed and weaved though several cars, earning some car horns in the process. He then took an exit suddenly, almost wrecking his car in the process. Nick almost smiled to himself but was stopped when he saw the van still behind him. With a sharp breath, Nick steeled himself. He stomped on the gas and sped down the street. He had one last trick up his sleeve. Nick took a right and then a left and then another right. On the last right he drove down a side alley and turned off his car. He bent forward and then did his best to hide himself. Nick waited for a while, hearing multiple cars pass him bye. With his heart racing he pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Hey Nick, ready for work tonight?"

"Clawhauser listen to me! Something's not right, I've been driving around the city and someone has been following me."

"Wait, slow down. What's going on?"

"I'm hiding in an alley right now and I think I lost him but…I just don't feel good about opening tonight ok. Look just tell everyone to take the day off and don't open up today."

"OK but what should I tell Kozlov?"

"DON'T…tell him anything OK? He was just talking to me about something yesterday and I don't need him to pop a lung when he shouts at me for being tailed."

"What did he say?"

"It doesn't matter right now, just don't open tonight. Look I'll call you later OK and if I don't then...tell Kozlov."

"Ok Nick, be safe."

"Bye buddy" Nick said as he hung up.

Nick waited for ten more minutes and then he left the alleyway. The white van was nowhere to be seen as he drove down the street. Nicks heart continued to race, worrying about his problems with the van as well as the potential problems with Kozlov. As Nick entered the Rainforest District, he once again slowed down and turned on his windshield wipers. The familiar _thump_ sound gave Nick a feeling of security. He was going to be home soon where he could hide and think about the situation. Nick drove up the driveway and parked. He hurriedly got out of the car and pulled out the key to the door. Before he could push it into the keyhole, he heard a voice behind him.

"Got any spare some change for a man with a broken leg?"

Before Nick could turn around he felt something sharp pierce the skin of his shoulder. From the point of entry, there was a feeling of expansion from it. Like someone was filling his body with warm water. Feeling his limbs turning into lead, Nick turned around. The last thing he saw before he fell to the ground was the ferret from earlier grinning at him, with a tranquilizer gun in hand.

Darkness…

Darkness..

Darkness.

Nick awoke when he felt his head hit something. He was groggy and couldn't see properly. His heart rate was quick and he could feel every single vain in his body pulse. There was something hugging his face tightly and he couldn't open his mouth all of the way. His hand and feet were outstretched in front of him and as his vision started to sharpen he could see that he was handcuffed. "Wha- th- fu- " Nick managed to get out before he fell asleep once more.

Nick woke up again but this time to a feeling of weightlessness. He opened his eyes to see what had become of his life. There were too large wolves that were carrying him though a storage facility. Nick took time to take in his surroundings. It was night already and the sky had taken the familiar yellow clouds that were stained by the lights of the city. Those clouds, however, were far away from where he currently was. Nick could feel his heart raise to this throat. Looking up he tried his best to memorize his captor's faces. The one carrying his upper body was a large black wolf and the one carrying his lower body was a grey wolf. As Nick was looking at them, he found something rather odd about them…they wore no collars. Due to their size, they carried him like he was nothing. Suddenly they stopped walking and the one at his feet knocked on a door. There was a moment of silence before the door was opened. They stepped in and took Nick down a dimly lit hall.

They went into a room to the side and placed him on a table. When they left they closed the door. Nick tried to move but he was still very groggy. He tried for a second to lift his arm but there was a very long delay until his arm actually moved. Nick moved his head and looked around. The room was sparse, with only the table he was laying on and a chair in front of him. The wall opposite to him had a large mirror on it, which he could only suspect was actually a window. Nick looked at himself in horror to discover that he had been muzzled. The adrenaline that filled his body gave him the strength to move his arms. He clawed at his face, trying to remove the accursed muzzle. Nick would have screamed if he knew that he wouldn't be shocked as a result. His actions were to no avail. The muzzle was not strapped to his face but was in fact bolted on, like the muzzles that prisoners wear. Feeling the onset of a panic attack, Nick took several deep breaths through his nose. His neck was itching like crazy but he was to nervous to scratch at the moment.

The door opened and into the room stepped a boar. His face was scarred and his right eye had an eye patch over it. He was wearing a very crisp suit that seemed like it was pressed to a knifes edge. The boar had a very small shiny name tag on it that said "Worthington". Mr. Worthington sat on the chair on the other side of the room and was quiet for a bit. Then he spoke.

"You've been a very naughty fox, you know that right?"

"Who are you?" Nick said with a semi muffled voice.

"Doesn't matter who I am, what matters is who you are Nick."

Nicks heart rate quickened.

"How do you know my name?"

"We know lots of things about you, like the fact that you work with certain undesirables and help them partake in... Hedonism!"

"Listen…if you have beef with Kozlov…I don't know him too well…I just work with him…I have no loyalty to him" Nick said. Maybe this man had some sort of grudge with Kozlov and wanted to use him to send a message.

"So that is a confession of wrongdoing?"

"What?"

"I think I've heard enough!" Worthington said. He reached to his pocket and pressed the button on his walkie-talkie "Send some boys down to pick up this predator. He's a dangerous criminal...so bring some tranquilizers."

"Wait! No! Stop!" Nick said reaching an arm out at Worthington as the boar walked towards the door. "What is this? Who are you?"

Worthington looked back at Nick, "Someone who likes his city nice and safe from scum like you" he said with a smirk. As the boar walked out, the thin wolf from before entered the room with a tranquilizer gun in hand. Nick tried in vain to escape but the strong paw of the wolf kept him pinned to the table. There was a pain on his neck and once again Nick succumbed the abyss of forced sleep.

Nick woke to having his head slammed into something. He raised his paw to his head and saw stars for a second. When his vision cleared he was shocked to see where he was. Nick was inside a bus, a prison bus. Surrounding him were mammals of all shapes and sizes, each on wearing a bright red jumpsuit just as he was. All of them were muzzled, just as he was. The bus lurched to one side again, and Nick looked to his left. They were nowhere near Fauna City or anywhere he knew for that matter. They were driving in the middle of nowhere. Nick tried his best not to freak out but he couldn't calm down. The only thing that was stopping him at this point from a panic attack was the tranquilizer still in his system. Nick sat back in his seat, closing his eyes, wishing this was all a dream. As he threw his head back, he felt something really cold on his neck. Reaching a paw up to it, he discovered that his regular shock collar had been replaced by a new one made of metal links. Though it didn't cause the trademark itch of the standard shock collar, this one was heavy and weighed his neck down. "Can this get ANY worse?" Nick thought to himself.

An hour later the bus stopped. Nick looked outside and saw that they were at a gate of some sort. The bus driver talked to the guard for a second before the guard let them through. The gate in front of them opened and Nick saw to his horror where the bus was destined. There down a long strip of graveled road was a large prison. Made completely of slabs of grey rock, with imposing walls and razor wired fences, was the prison known as Bombay Penitentiary. However, most people in Fauna City called it "The Pound". The bus stopped suddenly and Nick's face was thrown into the seat in front of him. The large elephant in front of him turned to give him a scowl but was interrupted by the doors opening.

They were taken from the bus to across the courtyard. There, they entered a building and stopped inside of a room that had a sign labeled "detention room". They were instructed to wait in this room while one by one they were taken into another room. Nick stood in this line of mammals nervously. He was the smallest in a room of elephants, wolves, bears, and bulls. Nick looked down at the chain that was connecting them all together. It was ice cold and in it he could just barely make out his reflection. He looked up and saw that he was next in line. The officer at the door called out his name and with that another officer unhooked him from the line.

In the room that he as brought in his was instructed to stand next to a height chart and hold a sign. As his picture was being taken the officer behind the cameraman called out "Nicholas P. Wilde, charged with larceny and the mauling of an innocent." As the second officer behind the cameraman wrote the information down, Nick's heart was racing. "What the hell is going on?" he thought to himself. The officer that brought him in escorted him to the door across the room. There they waited while the officer pressed the button on the walkie-talkie "We need an escort for one prisoner" the officer said. There was a moment of silence before the response was given "Copy that, we are sending you an escort now". The officer opened the door and they both walked outside into a large and spacious hallway.

The officer took Nick by the arm and cuffed him to the railing of a bench. He instructed Nick to sit and then started to scroll through his phone. As Nick sat on the cold metal bench, his mind was racing. "Oh shit. Oh fuck. I've been kidnapped and thrown in prison on false charges. What do I do? What do I do? What can I do? ". Nick was so focused on trying to process the current dilemma that he didn't notice that his escort had arrived.

"About time you arrive! I've gotten bored waiting for you!" said the officer.

"Have you gotten so lazy that you can't even take a prisoner to his cell or is it that you find yourself wanting an excuse to order me around?" Said a female voice. She sounded young, too young to be working here.

"I don't need to take this from you Hopps, just take the damn prisoner" said the officer as he closed the door.

Nick looked at his escort and was shocked to see not some tall brutish animal but actually a small gray rabbit. Her fur was soft with a splash of white hair on the top of her head that fell down between her bright blue eyes. On her tie was a badge that read "J. Hopps".

"Get up prisoner" She said as she un-cuffed him from the bench.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

The rabbit quickly unfastened Nick's handcuff from the bench. He couldn't help but stare at her. While he wasn't the biggest fan of the police, he had never ever seen a rabbit officer before. After instructing him to stand up, she refastened the handcuffs around his wrists. Then she started to lead him down the hallway. As they walked down a hallway, they turned to follow the direction of a sign labeled "cells". Nick noticed several things about her. The way she walked with a small bounce to her step. How her clothing was unwrinkled and new, as if never being sullied in the first place. How her ears where up and alert, moving in response to every sound around her. How she felt the need to wave hello to everyone she passed as if they truly felt interested. A realization hit Nick at this moment. They had sent a pencil pusher to escort him to his cell. Nick couldn't decide if it was an insult or not, mostly due to the fact that he was still in shock over how his life has changed.

"Hey look at that, Hopps finally got one!"

"Wow she's useful after all…"

"Looks like the Inclusion Act is finally paying off!"

Nick overheard many of these comments as they walked past security. Whether Hopps could hear them or wasn't paying attention was difficult to discern. What Nick was sure of was the fact that she had a very strong grip and was pulling him faster than he could walk. As they entered the cell block, they began to pass cells filled with all sorts of animals that called out to them. It was the standard affair of threats and insults, most of them directed at Nick but some were directed at the rabbit. Nick kept his head down and eyes in front of him, thinking quickly about how he would survive the night.

They stopped at the very end of the hall, with the rabbit taking off a ring of keys from her belt. Nick looked up and saw much to his relief that the cell the rabbit was starting to open was empty. She led him into the cell and closed the door, which shut with a very loud bang. She instructed him to slide his hands thought the bars so she could remove his handcuffs. Nick looked down at the rabbit. She barely came up to his shoulder, what was she doing in a place like this? He stared at her tie, looking down at her name tag.

"What does the 'J' stand for?" Nick said, with a muffled voice.

"Judy, but you will address me as Officer Hopps…prisoner" the rabbit said as she slid his handcuffs off of his wrists.

Nick jumped a little; he had spoken out loud before he could catch himself. Judy looked at him, studying him for a second. Her bright blue eyes looked at him from top to bottom. "There was something off about this fox" she thought to herself. He was too clean, he had no scars, and he wasn't even trying to threaten her. She shrugged her shoulders; he must be in here for a good enough reason for a private cell. Judy fastened the handcuffs to her waist and turned heel back down the hallway. Nick could hear the other prisoners shout their traditional verbal abuse at her as she walked back towards the door. There was a loud bang as the door closed and the cell block was quiet.

Nick looked around his cell. There was a small rickety bed with a pitifully thin mattress and a rough looking blanket in the corner of the room. Other than that, the only other furniture in the room was a toilet attached to the wall, which was several sizes to large for him. Nick walked over to the bed and sat down on it, causing the springs to groan. He did not know how much time had passed between his kidnapping and the present. When he was outside, the sun had just started to set but before that it was night. Then a thought entered his brain. They had undressed him when they put him in this jumpsuit! Nick shuddered and hugged his sides. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take before he lost his mind.

BANG!

Nick awoke from his sleep, arms raised ready to fight. He did not remember falling asleep yesterday. He rubbed his eyes and when he lowered his hands he saw that his cell door was being opened. Standing in the door way was a large bull officer and at his waist was Judy. The bull officer stared hard at Nick as Judy entered with clipboard in paw. She stood in the middle of the room for several seconds before she looked up at him with an authoritative gaze.

"Prisoner # 040384 Nicholas P. Wilde, arrested for larceny and mauling, you are scheduled for a visit to a doctor where your brain will be evaluated for traces of savagery," Judy read aloud from the clipboard with a monotone voice. Try though she might to hide it, it was obvious she was trying to show off to the other cop.

"Savagery," Nick thought, "Is she talking about that nonsense that Mayor Swinton is always going off about?" Nick didn't have much time to think about it. The large bull officer had strode over to Nick's bed and had ripped the blanket off of him. The bull officer was about to pull Nick from bed when Judy stepped forward and placed a paw on him. "I'm his escort, let me do my own job thank you very much" Judy said sternly. The bull officer looked down at Judy, both physically and metaphorically. After several seconds he let go of Nicks jumpsuit and stepped back. "Your call bunny, but it's on you if he jumps," the bull said with a smirk. Judy gave him a look from the side of her eyes and then told Nick to get out of bed. Nick did so, slowly as to not appear like he was trying to do anything aggressive. He didn't know whether these where the type of cops to take pleasure in the suffering of inmates and he wasn't about to try to find out.

They escorted him out of the prison cellblock and through several hallways before they reached the prison-parking garage. There they were met by a mid-sized ambulance. Standing outside of it was a large zebra that was talking to the driver of the ambulance. When they approached the Zebra turned around and gave Nick a smile that sent shivers down his spine. Both Judy and the bull saluted the Zebra

"So, this is our deadly savage fox?" Said the Zebra.

"Actually Warden Matthews, Prisoner # 040384 is only on his way to get tested for savagery Sir, we do not know if he has it right now" Judy responded. She was standing straight and her chest was puffed out.

"I don't need a doctor to tell me what I already know Hopps. Look at him, he's savage you just can't tell. Foxes are all the same, they wait for the perfect moment to strike," Warden Matthews said, nearly foaming at the mouth with vitriol.

It was clear from Nick's view that Matthews was disgusted just from the sight of the fox alone. Something told Nick that there was something off about the zebra mentally. Whatever it was Nick wasn't able to determine, as Matthews had already ordered the bull officer to take Nick on board. Judy volunteered to go with but the bull shot her down. Warden Matthews on the other hand took this as a joke and agreed to let her go. She excitedly tugged on Nicks handcuffs and the two of them got into the back of the ambulance. When they got inside, the back opened up and Warden Matthews stuck his head in. "I'm warning you now Hopps, I might find this funny but I am very serious. If anything should go wrong with this prisoner, it's going to be on your head" Warden Matthews said. Judy thought this over for a second and then smiled at him. "I won't let you down on this chief!" She said optimistically. Giving one last look of spite at Nick, Matthews shut the door.

After a very long two hours of driving they reached the limits of Fauna City. A feeling of sadness washed over Nick. He hated everything about this. He looked over a Judy, who was busy staring out the window looking at the scenery as it went by. Why was she so happy with this? Could she not tell that something was weird about him? That he, some random prisoner, was given a private cell. That he was accused of a crime that never happened. That he was being tested for savagery, a political buzzword used by politicians nowadays trying to appeal to nut jobs? Nick shrugged, so what, it's not like it mattered at this point.

Driving through the city, they had just passed Savanna Central. Nick overheard the driver say that the hospital was just around the corner when the entire vehicle jumped in the air. Both He and Judy flew in the air and landed on top of each other. Judy ran up to the driver's window and found that the driver had knocked his head on the steering wheel. She then went and opened the back of the van. There was a rather sizable pothole that was behind them and the driver had driven right over it. Judy got out of the ambulance and checked the rest of the vehicle. Both the front and back right tires had been blown out. She pulled out her cell phone and made a phone call for back up.

Seeing that she was not paying attention to him, Nick looked down to discover that when they hit the pothole, Judy's keys had been thrown off of her belt. Nick grabbed them quickly and rapidly tried each and every single key until he found the one for his handcuffs. Removing them slowly, he put them on the seat above him so that they wouldn't make a sound. Then he moved very slowly towards the end of the car. Judy was so preoccupied with her call for backup that she didn't hear Nick get out of the car and make a run for it. She didn't turn until she heard a pedestrian shout at her that a fox in a prison jumpsuit was running down the street. She reached back into the ambulance and pulled out an emergency tranquilizer gun and handcuffs. As Judy started to chase after Nick, her phone call finally connected.

"911 what is your emergency?"

"This is Officer Judy Hopps, I am in the process of chasing after an escaped prisoner. Name is Nicholas Wilde and he is a fox. Subject is dangerous and I need backup!"

"Where was the prisoner last seen?"

"He's heading toward Little Rodentia!"

"We are sending squad cars to your location now Officer Hopps."

Nick was running as fast as he could. He had to get away even if there was a small part of his mind that was screaming at him for doing something so stupid. He didn't care at this point, doing nothing was worse than trying to escape. Nick didn't know this part of the city as well as the others. Never had any reason to be here due to the only thing being here was the rodent community, Little Rodentia. As he ran down the street some looked at him with shock, others with disbelief. Nick had no doubt in his mind that he would become this week's headline. Hearing a loud noise behind him, Nick looked back to see Judy was running after him. While she was very small, she was also very fast and was gaining on him. Nick looked ahead at the street in front of him. At the end of the street was the side road for Little Rodentia. While it was just a small chance, Nick decided that a little glimmer of hope was better than none at all.

It was a nice quiet day in Little Rodentia. The sun was shining, the temperature was enjoyable, and everyone had a smile on his or her face...that was until a giant fox ran through the town square. The residents barely had enough time to calm down before a giant rabbit ran behind him. Nick was running for his life at this point. While it was not something that was brought up in public conversation; many people took savagery very serious on account to all the political ads. Because the "research" was still in it's developmental stage, Nick had a sneaking suspicion that if he was taken to that hospital they would find some way to mess up his brain. Nick swallowed his fear; he wasn't just going to let them take him without a fight.

Not paying attention to where he was going, Nick tripped on a mouse-sized car and flew over a large doughnut shop and landed face first on the road. If he wasn't wearing his muzzle, his teeth would have been broken and his jaw would have been unhinged. He got up quickly and continued running. Little Rodentia was a labyrinth of houses, apartments, stores, and streets. He only need to evade capture for just long enough for Judy to get lost and then he could hop the fence. What then? How far could a prison jumpsuit wearing muzzled fox get. Nick didn't think about, he just continued to run.

Judy jumped over several mice, they stared in amazement as she soared over them and tumbled back into running stance. She wasn't going to just let this prisoner escape. Her whole career was nothing but just busy work and on her first chance to actually do something she loses a prisoner? Not likely. As she ran she could see that the fox made a quick turn to the left. After that he seemed to have vanished. Judy sided up to the building next to her and crept quietly toward the corner. Unaware to her, Nick was laying just on the other side of the building in a cramped alleyway. He was trying his hardest not to make a sound. However his hiding place was discovered when a mouse in the building next to him looked out her window and screamed at him. With that, Nick shimmied out of the alley and ran down the street. Judy was waiting for him and as soon as he turned the corner she tackled him. The two flopped on the street but in the end she managed to pin him to the ground.

"FREEZE!" She said with a snarl. She was breathing heavily, not used to having to run this much.

"Look, I know you are just doing you job but I swear I've been set up. I did none of the things you think I've done," Nick said between gasps of air. She was standing on his back with her gun trained right on his neck. He wasn't able to move his head as her foot was placed firmly on the back of his head .

"That's funny because every criminal says that," Judy said, not taking her eyes off of Nick.

"Judy please,"

"Officer Hopps!"

"Officer Hopps, I know you want to impress the guys you work with but no matter what you do they won't see you as an equal" Nick said, straining to move.

"That's not true, when I bring you in I'm proving that us bunnies are not weak and that we can be good cops just like any big animal" Judy said with eyes blazing "Now you are going to wait right here while my back-up comes!" As she said this she took a pair of handcuffs off her belt and cuffed herself to him.

The two waited there, Nick laying on the ground with one of his arms stretched behind him and Judy keeping him on the ground with a gun pointed at him. Nick couldn't see much but out of the corner of his vision he could see a figure moving. From the corner of the street, a sheep emerged, dressed sharply in a police officers uniform. Hearing something behind her, Judy turned to see the sheep. "Its OK, I've got him!" Judy said, finally she wouldn't be the butt of everyone's jokes back at the office. Her smile faded when the sheep took his tranq-gun from his belt and pointed it at Judy. She didn't have time to react before the sheep had shot her in the neck. Whatever was in the dart was strong, as Judy quickly fell to the street, unconscious.

With Judy no longer on his back, Nick rolled over and backed up to the building. The sheep walked slowly to Nick, reloading his tranq-gun.

"You just don't know how not to be a nuisance do you?" the sheep said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick said, his mind racing.

"Let's just say you make my job a lot harder than it has to be" the sheep said as he pointed his gun at Nick "Say 'good night' predator".

"Good night" Nick said as he fired the Judy's Tranq-gun at the sheep. It had fallen from Judy's paw and landed right next to Nicks' foot when she fell. When Nick rolled over, he hid it between her body and his leg; discreetly hiding it there until the sheep had finished his monologue. Good thing their eyes aren't pointed forward. The dart lodged itself in the sheep's shoulder and after a couple of seconds the sheep feel unconscious. Nick, not wasting any time, picked Judy up and flung her over his shoulder. They were at the edge of Little Rodentia, near enough to the rest of the city that Nick could see cars at the end of the street. Nick could already hear police sirens behind him and ran down the street, Judy in tow.

Nick threw both Judy and himself thought the first car with the window down. He positioned her in the passenger seat and then he reached down behind the steering wheel. Finnick had taught him something a long while ago. After a couple of seconds of fiddling with the car's wires, the engine sputtered to life. Nick quickly put the car in drive and sped down the street. There was no way the cops would be able to follow him unless they went around several blocks to get to this side of the street. By then Nick was already planning to be gone. "Shit Shit Shit Shit," Nick said as he looked around nervously. Where could he go? He couldn't go home, they knew where he lived. He didn't want to risk going to a friend's house and getting them in trouble. He didn't even want to go to Wilde Times and risk giving it's location away. After thinking for a bit, Nick got onto the highway. He had no choice at this point; he had to go to the one person powerful enough to protect him. He had to go to Tundratown and see Kozlov.

Minutes later, a large collection of police arrived at Little Rodentia. The sheep was already up and moving towards the cops. The tranquilizer he was hit with was nothing for someone his size and only had him out for a couple of minutes. As he limped towards the cops he started waving frantically. "Help! The fox has kidnapped the rabbit! He stole her gun and threatened to shoot her if I followed!" the sheep yelled at the cops. After hearing this what vigor they had before was doubled. Now, not only were the cops looking for an excuse to be violent but because the sheep lied, they had a real reason to use force. The sheep watched as some got back into their cars and others stayed behind to question the residents. When one of the officers went to ask for the sheep for more information, he discovered that the sheep had vanished.


	5. Chapter 5

part 5

Nick's grip on the steering wheel loosened as he exited the tunnel that went through the biome wall. He had spent the worse part of an evening maneuvering thought the back alleys of the city with a tranquilized rabbit in the passenger seat. It had taken him several hours to get out of Savanna Central without being captured by the police. It had taken him a couple of hours going off road through Sahara Square. It was all worth it now. He had reached his promised land. He had reached Tundratown.

It was the perfect place to escape to. Tundratown has historically known to be the most difficult place to live in for various reasons... First, it was common for the weather to turn nasty and bitter cold at a moments notice. Second, even the cops didn't want to be there and were only assigned shifts if they acted out. As such, out of the entire city, Tundratown had the least police presence. There, Nick knew that he would find salvation in the large arms of a certain hypochondriac polar bear. At least he hoped so.

Nick turned left and got onto the road. He didn't really fear being seen at this point. No one entered Tundratown at night, for it was at this time that the snow had piled up and most shops had already closed for the night several hours ago. As Nick looked into the passenger side mirror, his eyes ventured over to Judy. Her eyelids were closed shut and she snored lightly, completely unaware and unaffected by the world around her. Nick noticed that this was the only time he had seen her when she was relaxed and at ease. When she was awake, she looked like she desperately needed a day off. Sadly this seemed to be the only circumstances that would allow it. Out of some odd resemblance of sympathy, Nick drove with only one paw on the steering wheel and the other by his side, so as not to disturb her as she was still handcuffed to him...as Nick focused his eyes back on the road; priority number one was to fix that.

Entering Tundratown, Nick pulled over to a small gas station on the side of the road. It was snowing lightly as Nick carefully pulled Judy out of the car and carried her in his arms, his feet made a crunching sound in the snow. This gas station was particularly popular around Tundratown's fishermen, as it was one of the only stations that allowed you to make your own chum for free. Nick walked around back and found the machine in question. He held his nose as he approached, as it was clear that it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. The machine looked a bit like something someone would use to cut wood and came with a large saw blade; one that was just big enough to cut off the handcuffs that bound the two together.

Standing on a stool, Nick placed Judy on the bench and positioned both of their arms so that the chain of the handcuffs was right under the saw blade. Nick hit the button on the wall and the saw blade whirred to life. It was at this moment that Judy woke up. Seeing that she was right next to a large saw with an escaped prisoner controlling it, she did what any rational person would do. She screamed at the top of her lungs. "AHHHH!" Judy screamed in terror as she scrambled to get up and get off of the table. Forgetting that she was still connected to Nick, she ended up tripping and pulling them both to the snowy ground. She fell, her legs coming up from underneath her with her arm being violently pulled back. Nick was pulled from the stool and fell onto his chest. The two of them engaged in a violent yet comical tug of war until both of them had to stop to catch their breath.

"What…the hell…are you…trying to do…" Judy said as she gasped for breath.

"What…does it look like…Cottontail…" Nick said as he breathed heavily

"Like you're…trying to…kill me…" Judy said with tears coming out of her eyes. It was clear to Nick that she was sincere with what she was saying. He had to think fast before she did something. He caught his breath and trying to appear non-threatening.

"Look…I know that you are afraid. I know you didn't believe me last time I said it but I swear to you…I did not do any of the things that I have been charged with. I did not steal anything and I did not hurt anyone. I wasn't trying to kill you, I just want the hand cuffs off," Nick said. He spoke slowly and softly. He watched for her reaction as he spoke. Her face was a mixture of fear and confusion. After he was done speaking Judy was silent for several seconds, then she spoke.

"But…I don't understand. If what you're saying is true…why were you in prison?" Judy asked.

"I was kidnapped in front of my house by some lunatic. He brought me to some place and drugged me. When I woke up I was in a bus headed for prison." Nick said back. He could see the gears turning in Judy's head and he hoped for just a second that she wouldn't ask the question he was dreading.

"Why?" She said.

"They didn't say why…just that they didn't like me" Nick lied. He might have some pity for Judy but he wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to exonerate himself from fake crimes only for him to admit to a cop a real crime.

"I…I…don't know if I believe you but I guess if you wanted to hurt me you wouldn't have waited so long to do it" Judy said, her shoulders and ears relaxing.

"See? Now about these cuffs?" Nick said, bringing the handcuffs in question up to eye level.

"No…I…I just cant. I can't go back empty handed!" Judy said with a raised voice.

"What! Why not?!" Nick said starting to become frustrated.

"You don't understand! I've always wanted to be a police officer! I spend my whole career trying to do real work but instead they have me doing nothing but paper work! I transferred over to the prison because I thought that they would at least allow me to do something. Even there I just do nothing but paper work! All because I'm just some weak bunny who can't do anything! If I go back without you then things will never change…" Judy said.

"Really? I, a fox in a city where predators are hated, don't know what its like to be treated differently because I'm different?" Nick replied.

"You're bigger than me and you're a predator so…"

"So? So what! I don't get it easy! I have to be careful whom I talk to because I'm a predator. I have to be careful where I go at night because some cop with a chip on their shoulder might not like a predator walking around at night. You honestly think I don't know what its like? Remind yourself who is wearing a shock collar and muzzle before you complain to me about life being tough rabbit!" Nick said, careful not to raise his voice too loud lest he trip his collar.

As he talked he could feel himself getting madder and madder at her. Was she for real? He never got to find out because before Judy could reply she froze with her eyes wide open. Nick followed her line of sight and turned to look behind him. His eyes were met with the end of a shotgun that was carried by a large angry walrus. Nick gave a nervous laugh, how could this day get any worse?

They stood at gunpoint for several minutes. The walrus pulled out an old flip phone and made a call. Within fifteen minutes a limousine pulled up and out of it stepped a large polar bear. He pulled at his collar and walked slowly up to the trio. As it grew closer, Nick could see that this wasn't just any polar bear, but it was Kozlov's assistant! He took out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and gave it to the walrus, who took it with glee. Then Kozlov's assistant took the two of them by the paw and dragged them to the limo. The only thing he said throughout the ordeal was "Kozlov is expecting you". Then began a very long and awkward drive through Tundratown.

None of them spoke nor did any of them move, except for Kozlov's assistant who texted on his phone for the entire trip. Nick looked over to Judy, she was shivering slightly and her eyes were moving all over the place. Nick placed his paw on hers, he might not like her sometimes but even he wasn't so mean as to leave her cowering. She looked down at his paw and looked up. Her eyes showed nothing but fear as she looked at him. Then she gasped slightly as her gazed moved past him. Nick turned around to see that as they approached Tundratown that the aurora borealis which hung over the center city had become visible. Judy remained spellbound for several seconds, her bright cyan eyes reflecting the multitude of colors that filled the night sky.

"What is that?" Judy said dreamily

"That's Tundratown" Nick said. He couldn't yet determine if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Kozlov had sent his assistant but he knew that he was about to find out.

The drive took them from the gas station next to the habitat wall to the center of Tundratown. Deeper and deeper they went until they reached their destination. Kozlov's assistant opened the limo door and Nick and Judy wearily followed him. There in front of them was "Kozlov's Palace". Kozlov was known for many things but none of them were the same to the same people. To some, he was known as a cutthroat gangster who had no qualms about getting rid of competition on his illegal ventures. Some knew him as an adoring father who doted on his son, Morris. Many however knew him as the owner of the five star restaurant known as Kozlov's Palace. While the restaurant was legitimate, Kozlov used it in order to launder his money. Surprisingly, the restaurant was actually doing really well and there were plans to open a second.

The limo had taken them to the back and from there they entered. They went thought the parking lot entrance, down a hallway, through several doors, and finally up a staircase. A final door was opened and then they were in an office. Nick, Judy, and Kozlov's assistant stepped inside and then the door was closed behind them. The office was filled with many expensive paintings and statues. In the back was a large carved wooden desk and behind said desk was Kozlov. He was huge for a polar bear and he looked at them both through bushy eyebrows and thick coke bottle eyeglasses. At first he gave a large menacing scowl but then his face lightened up. Kozlov got out of his chair and started to laugh in his characteristic booming laugh. He walked over to them and grabbed at Nick. At first Nick thought that he was trying to choke him but it turned out that Kozlov had actually embraced him in a tight hug. Judy was not saved from this either as she was being hugged in the other arm.

"Nicholas! My dear friend, how long haz it been since I have spoken to you?"

"Good to…see you…too…Kozlov" Nick said as he tried to breath and talk at the same time.

Kozlov put the two down in the chairs that were in front of his desk and then he sat down in his own chair.

"Nicholas I vas so vorried after I got the call from your pudgy friend. You being followed through the city vas vorse enough but vhen I didn't hear anything for several days I grew anxious. Zhen I get news of you being abducted on the street? That was vhen I had had enough. I was so vorried that I couldn't sleep! It's all right now! I have you here and everything is all good now yes?" Kozlov said. His accent was very thick and Nick wasn't surprised that Judy looked very confused at what he was saying.

"Yeah about that Kozlov…things have gotten kind of complicated," Nick started to say. He told Kozlov the basic story of what had happened since he had called Clawhauser. He tried his best to leave out Wilde Times, as he didn't need Judy to have a real reason to arrest him. He also told Kozlov that Judy was some mall security guard that he had handcuffed to him to help him escape. During this time Kozlov had his assistant remove Nicks muzzle and had gotten him a set of clothing. It was a waiter's uniform that was two sizes too big for him. Still it was better than his prison jumpsuit. Then he took out a pair of bolt cutters and removed the handcuffs. After Nick was done speaking Kozlov was silent.

"Bah, all of this is nothing to worry about Nicholas. I vill help you. You vill sleep here and zhen ve vill talk business tomorrow. Zere is much I must tell you about vhat has happened vith your job" Kozlov said.

"What does he mean by job?" Judy said, breaking her silence.

Nick never got the chance to answer her, because just as he turned to answer her the door behind them burst open. A seal poked its head out of the door way and told Kozlov that there was a large amount of black vehicles coming down street. Kozlov began to speak but just something shattered the window at the left of the room. The object sailed through the air and landed in the center of the rug. Judy instantly recognized it as a gas grenade and pulled both herself and Nick to the floor. A second later the bomb exploded, filling the room with smoke. Kozlov, his assistant, and the seal started to cough violently while Judy and Nick crawled on the floor to get out of the room.

"Catch Nicholas! Get ze black bike in ze back!" Kozlov shouted as he threw a set of keys to Nick before doubling over. Nick caught them, nearly tripping in the process, and pulled Judy along with him as they ran out of the two ran down the hall to the stairs and attempted to retrace their steps to get back to where they were dropped off. However, they took a wrong turn and entered the main restaurant instead. It was in complete chaos and the patrons were scrambling for cover as animals in body armor and guns stormed in thought the front doors. Seeing the two, the officers shot in their general direction; not even taking into consideration the patrons in the firing line. These were not tranquilizer darts they were firing, these were real bullets. They didn't want to bring Nick back alive, they wanted him dead at this point. Nick and Judy went back thought the door they came and retraced their steps a second time. When they finally ended up in the parking lot they looked around. There in the back was the black motorcycle which Kozlov had given them. Nick jumped on but was surprised that Judy climbed on along with him.

"Shouldn't you be going back to your comrades in arms?" Nick said as he hotwired the bike.

"Those aren't regular cops, I've never seen those uniforms before. They aren't my friends either, none of my friends would open fire with the possibility of injuring civilians!" she said as clung to his waist.

"Even if they are predators?" Nick replied.

"What? No, not on anyone!" Judy said surprised.

"Yeah right, this isn't the first time" Nick said.

"What are you talking about?" Judy said, she was getting anxious at this point because she could hear people approaching around the corner.

"Have you ever heard of a place called Happytown?" Nick asked.

"No, I've never been in the city before; I'm from Bunny Burrows. Why, what happened there?" Judy said, her grip on Nicks waist tightening.

"Now's not the time…I will tell you later," Nick said as the bikes engine started. They managed to exit the parking lot just in time as the door they left through burst open. One of the animals saw them and fired its gun at them. Nick gunned the engine and shot the two of them down the street. They appeared to not be followed until another shot was fired at them. Judy looked behind and saw that one of the animals in body armor was on a bike following them. Nick turned and got off of the street they were on and entered the highway.

Nick swerved between cars in an attempt to make the follower crash. It had been a while since he had ridden a motorcycle but he would ever forget Finnick teaching him how. He would have to remember to thank him when all this madness ended, if it ever did. He didn't have to be faster than the person who was following them, he only had to make enough twist and turns to lose him. However, this was proving a difficult task as the person following them was a very good rider. The skyline of Tundratown got further and further away as the chase went on. Try as Nick might, he couldn't get far enough away from the man. They did this delicate dance for a while until Nick had an opportunity. Nick jerked the handlebars to the right and took an exit. This one went through the mountain to the west and would take them to the Rainforest District.

Nick could see the mountain in front of him and felt slightly happy. Looking back he saw that he had lost the man who was chasing them. Sharing a look of joy with Judy, he twisted his wrist and the bike sped up. He knew he wouldn't stop until he had gotten far enough away from Tundratown. Then what? Where would he go from here? It was obvious that nowhere in the city was safe for him. No matter where he went the police where able to find him. Nick didn't know what to do at this point, only that he needed to get away from the city. As he entered the tunnel that connected the two districts he started to feel slightly safer. This feeling was dashed when just as he exited into the Rainforest District, a loud sound was heard behind them. The bikes back tire had been shot out and for a brief moment, Nick lost control. Both he and Judy were thrown off of the vehicle and they landed on several large mushrooms which were growing on the side of the road.

Though the mushrooms had cushioned them from serious harm, Nick's vision was blurred as he struggled to get up. He could make out the shape of Judy to his left and to his right was a cliff that over looked a waterfall that emptied into a large river. In front of him was the tunnel and from out of it stepped the rider who was following them. Nick got up and helped Judy to stand. She grasped at her head and there was a sizable bruise forming on her cheek. The rider walked slowly to them with gun in hand. As Nick's vision started to focus he could see the rider stop in front of them. He reached up to his head and took of the helmet that he was wearing. There standing before them was the sheep from earlier.

"You really like to make my job difficult don't you?" the sheep asked.

"How many times do I have to ask, WHAT JOB YOU PHSYCHO MANIAC?" Nick shouted at him.

The sheep started to laugh. He laughed so hard in fact that he actually doubled over. When he was done laughing he stood back up and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Nick, Nick, Nick…don't you remember? We've been through this my mentally confused friend," the sheep said.

"What on earth are you talking about? I've only asked you once!" Nick said.

"Oh Nicky don't you remember? I'm just a someone who likes my city nice and safe from scum like you," the sheep said with a chuckle.

Nick stared wide eye at the sheep. Someoneelse spoke those words to Nick before but and it was definitely not the sheep.

"That's…not possible" Nick said, dumbstruck.

"Looks can be deceiving Nicky! Enough monologue, I've got a job to do," the sheep said as he raised his gun up

"There is still the slight problem of you girly. I let you live earlier and I'm feeling generous again. How's about you step away from the mutt and I'll let you live. I might even have you promoted if you promise not to tell anyone about this?" the sheep said to Judy.

Judy looked at Nick and grabbed his Paw. She gave the sheep a defiant look.

"Suit yourself" the sheep said as he pulled the hammer back on his gun.

Before the sheep could fire off a shot, Judy pushed Nick back and the two of them fell into the river below them. The sheep emptied his clip into the river around where they were but couldn't get a clear shot as the duo were swept quickly down stream. The two of them fought to remain above water but the force of the current was too strong. They were pulled down into the water several times, each time the duration becoming longer. Just when they thought it couldn't get worse they fell down another waterfall, this one being twice as high as before. When they surfaced, they swam to each other and grabbed a hold of each other. They took a second to breath as they thought their trouble had finally ended. This did not last as the river took a turn for the worst becoming white water rapids complete with large rocks jutting out of the water. The current became stronger and Nick was snatched from Judy's grasp. He was pulled under water and spun around from the force of the current. Then suddenly and without warning, Nick was thrown right into a large rock. He smashed his head against it with enough force for it to knock him out. He just before he lost consciousness he could feel himself being thrown against many other rocks before he came back up to the surface. The very second he lost consciousness Nick heard Judy calling his name. Then there was nothing but darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

The only thing Nick felt was his whole body aching in pain. It was like his body was being hugged very tightly and that no matter what he couldn't wake up. He had terrifying dreams of multiple cold hands rapidly touching his body. He experienced visions of multiple dark beings looming over him as he slept. He struggled in vain to escape this anguish for what seemed like an eternity. Then just when he had almost given up, he awoke. What he saw was something that never in all of his life, he thought he would experience.

From the foot of his bed, to the rafters in the ceiling, and to the rooms that surrounded him, were hundreds of rabbits staring at him. They were all of different heights, weights, and ages. No two of them were dressed the same. They all stood motionless, their faces a mixture of curiosity and delight. Nick saw one of them dash a way and moments later he returned with someone by the paw. It was Judy! She ran over to Nick from the hallway and came to his bedside.

"Oh Nick you're finally awake!" Judy said with relief as she embraced him. Her hug was well meaning but painful as she squeezed around his ribs. Nick gasped in pain and looked down. His shirt was opened and around his chest he could see that he had been bandaged. His tie was missing and his pants had several holes in them.

"Judy…the waterfall…the river…what happened…" Nick said as he struggled to remain awake. The pain from his chest and his fatigue was almost too much for him to bear. He felt like he had been run over by a car.

"We fell down to the river and got swept out of the city. You got banged up pretty bad on the rocks and almost drowned. You were unconscious when I got you over to the shore. There was a pay phone near where we ended up so I made a call and I got us far away" Judy explained. As she talked, Nick could see that the rabbits around them all started to move closer to the two. Their eyes had switched from Nick and were now transfixed on Judy.

"If we are…out of the city…where are we now…" Nick said as he started to gain his strength. He tried to move up on the bed but his arms gave out, causing him to fall back on the bed. Judy helped him reposition his body so that he was propped up on a pillow

"We are in Bunny Burrows…at my family's house" Judy said. Nick looked around at their audience. He noticed it now, all of the eyes bright blue, all of their fur dark grey except for the top of the head, which was white. These were no doubt Judy's siblings. Then he had a realization.

"Judy wait, why did you bring me here? It's dangerous! The police and who knows what else are after me!" Nick said fearfully.

"Nick it's alright, everything is OK. The Police aren't going to come looking for you here. They probably still think that you have me held hostage somewhere in the woods by the city," Judy said "besides, nobody even knows you're here. We transported you at night in the back of a truck with a tarp thrown over you. "

"Well I guess it's alright but…"

"No buts Nick…everything is OK now. You are far away from the city in the middle of farmland. There is literally no one for miles. What you need to do is stop worrying and get better. Your ribs are still bruised pretty bad and your head doesn't look any better," Judy said. She started to go around the room and shoo her siblings out of the room they were in. Some went quietly and others begged to stay. Apparently they had never seen a fox up close before. They all submitted in the end, Judy had a stern face she gave them that caused all dissent to fade away... Perks of being the eldest sister.

Over the next couple of days, Nick was confined to his bed and was attended to by Judy and her siblings. Judy would come in at various points of the day to give Nick pain medicine, which consisted of very bitter herbs that made him light headed. At appointed meal times, Nick would be served a variety of meals. Many of which consisted of fruits and vegetables, normally distasteful to predators but foxes are omnivores, so Nick had no problems eating. For most of the day, however, Nick slept. On the fifth day of this routine, Nick felt well enough to stand.

After taking a warm bath, Nick went back into his room to find that Judy had sewn his clothing and laundered them. He got dressed and entered the kitchen of the house. There he found Judy sitting at the table talking to what Nick assumed where her parents. After sitting at the table Nick was introduced to Stu and Bonnie Hopps. Stu was an elderly rabbit that had made a career of carrot farming. He had spent many hours in the sun, which showed by his sun-bleached face. Bonnie was a kind woman who showed great love to each and every one of her children. She knew just what to say to make sure that all of her offspring felt loved and acknowledged, all 276 of them.

Stu and Bonnie attempted to act normal towards Nick, but he could tell that they were nervous around him. Even as they ate, they always kept one eye on him at all times even though he still wore his heavy metal shock collar. Nick didn't take this personally as he assumed that they probably had not been around many predators. Judy kept the energy in the room placid by initiating small talk. Nick did his best to not talk and only did so to answer basic questions. He was careful not to give away too much information as he wasn't aware of how much they knew. Though their conversation, Nick gleamed the story that Judy had told her family. Judy told them that she was on her way home for a surprise visit from the when she came across him drowning in the river. She dove in to save him and preformed CPR when she had reached the shore. She said that she assumed he was homeless based on the way he dressed and had brought him back home because she didn't know what to do with him. Nick gave her a smirk; she was a rather clever bunny…when she wanted to be.

Throughout the rest of the week, Nick slowly regained the rest of his strength. Judy had removed his bandages and after having him perform several stretches, confirmed that his ribs had healed. He still had a faint bruise on his forehead and his black eye hadn't healed but only got smaller. What picked at him in the back of his mind was what to do now. Judy's story wouldn't last forever. Her parents were already asking her about what she planned to do with him. She told them repeatedly that she was looking online for homeless shelters to take him to but that she had not found one yet. Nick attempted to think of a plan of action but none of what he thought of sounded good. Judy came to him one day and delivered a bombshell to him.

In her room held the only working computer in the house and on said computer was an article published from Fauna City. Judy looked at him nervously and pressed play on the video on the site. The seal of the city played out on the screen for several seconds and then faded to a podium with a smiling pig. This was no ordinary pig, however, it was the mayor of Fauna City Mrs. Kathy Swinton. She stood there in her designer suit for several seconds before she spoke.

"My dear citizens, no doubt by now you have already heard the shocking news of what has happened in our fair city recently. A dangerous fox has escaped prison and has been wreaking havoc all around the city. This dastardly criminal has also taken a hostage as well. In both Little Rodentia and in our wonderful Tundratown, we have come close to capturing this hardened criminal. Still he has evaded us! Worry no longer, the city counsel and I have been working hard to capture this miscreant. We have increased our police force all over the city to protect you and we have also alerted the surrounding counties of our issue. I can personally promise you that this predator will be captured and he will pay for his crimes!"

There was the sound of clapping followed by several photographs taken. The video ended with a shot of Mayor Swinton's jubilant face looking straight into the camera followed by a picture of Nick and Judy taken from a security cam. Judy looked at Nick with concern. It was obvious to the both of them now how truly dire their situation was. No matter where they went they were screwed. They couldn't go back into the city nor could they leave and go to any other city. Nick had started to pace around the room. He had to think of something and he had to think of it fast. Just when he thought he had run out of ideas he found one. It wasn't one that he particularly enjoyed.

The two of them left the next morning before the sun had risen. Judy had left a note for her parents saying that she had found a shelter for Nick and that she had to get there early the next morning before someone else took his place in the availability queue. Nick hid with a blanket thrown over him in the back of the car they had borrowed from Stu and only occasionally stuck his head out to help Judy with the directions. The drive took several hours and when she could no longer stand it she asked Nick a question that had been burning inside of her.

"Nick?"

"Yeah…"

"You told me that you would tell me something…"

"What?"

"About what happened…in Happytown"

"Oh…yeah…forgot about that…"

"Well…what happened?"

"Its not a pretty story carrots…but if you really what to know, I will tell you. Happy Town started up as a community for everyone. It was really cheap and it had everything you could want in a small community. Over time however, Happytown became more and more a center for controversy. Due to it's location, it caught the attention of several prey separatist groups, who wanted the location to be a prey only haven. Happytown wasn't their only goal as they wanted to eventually have all the islands in the inlet between Savannah Central and Sahara Square. Their plan's didn't succeed as they instigated a riot after there was an attack on a doe by a cougar during the Covenant Day fair. Prey animals stopped buying houses there out of fear of being attacked. Swinton became elected soon after, becoming popular from her rhetoric which put the blame on predator genetics. She put Happytown under Marshal Law for a while as she said she was committed to searching for evidence of "savagery", some mental disorder she swears she can medically diagnose. Eventually, after things settled down, it became the slum it is today," Nick explained. The words spilled from his mouth with a hint of sadness. Nick didn't like to tell this story.

"I don't understand Nick, why do you want to go there when everyone is looking for you?" Judy said.

"Because I know a place no one will find me" Nick said.

A couple of hours later they arrived in Happytown. They had arrived near the shore of the lake which Fauna City rested on and taken several shifty back roads in order to make it on the highway without being seen. From the highway, Nick took several turns and reached the web of bridges which spread out from it to the islands below. Taking a turn for the exit, Nick drove the car down a bridge which took them to down to a small island. As they drove, Nick saw a sign pass over him which had rusted from neglect; The sign read "Welcome to Happytown". Nick drove down the street and turned at the corner, passing by an old salon which was now boarded up. This section of Happytown was uninhabited as many of the buildings they past were partially destroyed. There was long grass had started to grow from the concrete. Nick told Judy to park the car as soon as they entered the town and from then on they went in silence. Tall buildings surrounded them on both sides as they walked down the street. There were old, dilapidated apartments and trashed restaurants. What stood out to Judy the most was that there were rusted cars strewn all throughout the street like something out of a horror movie. She looked at Nick, who walked slowly and with half lidded eyes. Suddenly he stopped in front of a building.

There in front of them was a two-story building that had boarded up windows and was covered in graffiti. It was down a long hallway which was situated in between two other buildings, hiding it from the main street. At the top of the front door was a sign that said "John's Tailor Shop". She heard a noise and looked down to find Nick was tearing off the boards to the door. They had been there for so long that they had begun to rot and came off easily. Judy watched as Nick tore off the last board on the door and put his paw on the door.

"Nick…what is this place?

"This was my home."

The two of them stepped in to the house and were met with a ghastly sight. The whole of the bottom floor was devoted to the tailor shop and at one time it could have been nice. However, it now looked like tornado had ripped through the place. Mannequins and large piles of fabric littered the floor and all of the counters had been smashed, covering the floor with small shards of glass. Nick walked across to the other side of the room. He went into a large walk in closet and grabbed hold of a shelf in the back. With minimal effort he managed to pull it from the wall. Instead of it toppling over, it swung out in an arc revealing a hidden staircase. As Nick ascended the staircase, Judy followed behind with bated breath.

She found Nick on a couch on the second floor. Whatever happened down stairs didn't happen upstairs as the second floor of the building was remarkably preserve albeit covered in a thick layer of dust. The room that Nick sat in looked like a small living room and out of the corner of her eye she could see a small kitchen. As Judy got close to him, she could see that Nick was clutching a small picture frame in his paws. She sat down on the couch next to him and saw that a small tear was rolling down his face. Looking at the picture she could see a large adult fox was hugging a smaller child fox. The picture seemed to radiate a feeling of happiness as both people in the picture were smiling without a care in the world. What Judy found odd was that none of them wore a collar.

"Is that you?" Judy asked as she pointed to the small fox in the picture.

"Yep…" Nick said nodding his head

"And that's…"

"That's my dad…" Nick said, another tear rolling down his face.

"Nick…what happened?"

"My dad had just returned from a run to the store for more fabric when the riot started. I was just a kid at the time…I didn't know what was going on. My dad tried his best to calm me down but when he heard someone break in down stairs he went to kick them out. He locked me upstairs and made me promise not to follow him. When the riots ended, he didn't come back. I went out and found him dead…don't know who killed him but I know the bastard did it with a shard of glass. The door bust open and a police officer came in and took me from the house. I was in an orphanage after that. Never got adopted…at the time everyone was scared of predators. Nobody wanted to adopt a predator…even if they were a child. Don't know what happened to my dad's body…I guess they cremated him and buried him somewhere. "

"Nick that's…awful!" Judy said as she hugged him. As he talked, she found that she grew closer to him as she could see the pain in his face as he spoke.

"It's in the past now…what's important is that no one will find me here." Nick said. Nick knew deep down in his heart that this was a terrible plan. He knew that eventually he would have to leave to find food and he didn't even know if the water or electricity worked. Still though, he clung to the fact that no one came to this part of the city. Mayor Swinton had placed this area of Happytown under quarantine after the riots were over and the marshal law had ended, supposedly to reduce "the spread of savagery", as she called it.

"Nick…"

"Yeah?"

"In this picture neither of you are wearing collars…"

"How old are you?"

"24"

"Ah, then you wouldn't have remembered. After the riots, Mayor Swinton signed it into law that all predators in the city were required to wear them. Didn't you learn this in school?"

"No…we were taught that predators wore collars as a way to keep them from going savage. That the shocks help them from reverting back. I never new Happytown had anything to do with it," Judy said

Nick thought this over for a while. No wonder why Judy seemed ignorant about predators, her schooling had not told her the full truth. Nick put down the picture frame on the coffee table and stood up. He stretched for a second and walked around the apartment. It had been 20 years since he had been here. All this time he had wondered what life would have been like if the riots never happened. Judy grabbed a duster from a closet and started to clean up the place while Nick walked around. He saw his old bedroom, complete with his old toys and books. The bed seemed so small to him that he couldn't fathom being that small. He walked into his father's room. His father was one for cleanliness and kept his room immaculate. Nick opened the closet and saw that all of his fathers clothing was still there. He took a shirt down from the hanger and gazed at it. He remembered his father coming home with it one day, mad at himself for buying it. Nick chuckled to himself; those were the good old days.

Just then he heard the sound of shattering glass from the front room. He ran down the hall and saw that Judy had fallen to the floor. The window on the other side of the room had a hole in it and the floor was covered in glass. Nick ran to Judy's body and turned her over. There was a small pellet on the side of her neck, which Nick ripped off. Holding it up to his eye, he saw that the end had a small needle on it. Nick was about to pull her over from the front of the window when he heard the window break and felt a sharp pain on his neck. Paralyzed, he fell over next to Judy. He felt himself falling unconscious and just before he went out, he could see that on the rooftop across the street was a person with a gun.

"Damn it…" Nick said before he was enveloped in darkness.

A cold splash of water hit him, waking Nick up. Cold and scared, he looked around. He could see that he was tied to a chair and to his left was Judy who had similar circumstances. They were in a dark room with only a single spot light shinning down on them. Judy was still asleep but not for long as a bucket of water came out of the darkness and hit her. She awoke with a scream and instantly started to fight with the rope tying her hands and feet to the chair. There was the sound of laughter and footsteps. Out of the shadow approached a figure.

"Oh no" Judy said.

"Oh shit" Nick said.

"That was a neat trick you pulled at the water fall…but I am going to get the last laugh," said the sheep with a grin.

End of chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

"That was a neat trick you pulled at the water fall…but I am going to get the last laugh," said the sheep with a grin. Nick and Judy watched as he paced back in front of them. The sheep eyed them both, his wicked toothy grin shone brightly in the light.

"I tell you, this job just keeps getting more and more difficult. First it was 'get rid of the fox' then it was 'kill the fox' now its 'bring the fox in alive'. I swear they change their mind more than an indecisive child at an ice-cream parlor! I could have backed out and had someone else get the job done but let's be honest they wouldn't have done a good job. So instead I suffer this job myself out of some odd sense of responsibility. When I'm done here I think I should reevaluate my occupation because this amount of emotional investment can't be too healthy. It doesn't matter now…I have you now and soon this train wreck will end" The sheep said.

As Nick and Judy watched him talk they began to notice some things about him. The sheep had large dark rings around his eyes, as if he had been awake since they last saw him. His wool around his face wasn't combed and stood up wildly. Lastly his clothing, a simple black suit, was terribly wrinkled. All together what they saw before them was a ghastly visage of a man who looked as if he was on the brink of insanity. Their attention was taken when the sound of a door was head from behind the sheep.

"That's enough Agent Wooly, you're going to bore them to death with your insufferable ranting" said a female voice.

The sheep named Wooly turned his head around. From the back of the room a figure emerged form the shadows. There stepping into the light dressed in a navy blue designer suit was Mayor Swinton. She walked slowly into the light, with each step her eyes moved up and down Nick and Judy, studying them. Her gaze however was much more focused on Nick. A coy smile played on her lips as she stopped next to Wooly, hands on her hips. Wooly snapped to attention, performing a salute.

"So after all this time you have finally captured them?"

"Yes ma'am"

"A ragamuffin fox and the rabbit he kidnapped?" Swinton said as she gestured to Nick and Judy who both looked worse for wear.

"I did my best ma'am,"

"Your best was taking too long and letting them run amok in my city? Shame Wooly, it seems that you've gotten soft in your old age…"

"Ma'am I…,"

"I don't want to HEAR and of your excuses Wooly. It's because of you I have the city counsel on my ass about THIS savage fox. If you had taken any longer then they would have started to question me and you know what happens when people start to think for themselves don't you?"

"Yes ma'am…,"

Swinton pointed to Nick.

"Get changed and take him out of my sight"

"With pleasure madam," Wooly said with glee. He walked out of the range of the light and from the darkness came the sound of a suitcase being opened. After several minutes Wooly returned but standing in his place was not a sheep but a boar. Nick did a double take; this was the boar from earlier. The disguise was perfect, near seamless. Wooly had his hooves on his face, moving the mask around until it was positioned properly. As he looked down at Nick he gave him a smile.

"Remember me?"

With a quick motion, Wooly punched Nick in the muzzle knocking him out. Judy screamed and struggled at her bonds as Wooly untied Nick and handcuffed him. She thrashed her body side to side and call out to Nick in a vain hope that he would wake up. Helpless, she watched as the sheep tossed Nick over his shoulder and casually walked out of the room. Just before he could leave, Swinton whistled at him.

"Remember not to rough him up too much Wooly, he still has to be ready for tomorrow."

"Don't worry ma'am you'll have your fox in one whole piece, ready and waiting for you."

"He better be or it'll be on your head. Send the boys in when you leave."

As Wooly left the room, Swinton walked to the opposite wall and flicked the light switch on. The entirety of the room became illuminated and Judy could see that she was inside what looked to be a basement. As she looked around, two large bulls in suits came in and stood next to Swinton.

"Untie her and bring her with me."

Swinton pulled out her phone and started to text while Judy was unbound from the chair. Afraid, she sat still as the large hands of the bulls removed the strong coils of rope from her wrists and ankles. She rubbed the soreness out of her wrists as the two bulls stood her up and led her out of the room with Swinton leading. They exited into a hallway and went up a long flight of stairs. From the top of the stairs they entered another hallway, this one though was filled with a variety of service workers in janitors jumpsuits. The group moved from one end of the hall to the other and turned the corner. There they were greeted with the sight of several elevators. Swinton hit a button on the wall and the group entered the elevator.

Like a bullet, they shot up. Judy was sandwiched in-between the guards and Swinton, who causally typed away at her phone. Looking around nervously, she noticed that the elevator they were in was too ornate to be a service elevator. One section of the elevator was a glass window, which showed a grimy cement wall. Seconds later they came to ground level and the window showed a large open area of the building they were in. In large golden letters on the wall said the words CITY HALL were displayed. As Judy looked, she could see on the ground floor of the building were a multitude of office workers and visitors going about their daily life. Abruptly the elevator stopped and she was pushed out by one of the bodyguards.

Wordlessly, they walked down the hallway, which overlooked city hall. They took a left and then a right and then a left again and entered the first door they came across. Swinton took out a keycard from her coat pocket and opened up the door. As they stepped inside Judy gasped at the sight that met her. The large room they entered was filled from floor to ceiling with hundreds of television screens. Each one of them showed something different. Some showed busy streets and others showed the insides of stores. Some even showed video that looked like it was taken from someone glasses. The room wasn't just filled with television screens though. In the corner of the room held what looked to be the sound stage she held broadcasts from.

"Marvelous isn't it?" Swinton asked.

Judy looked at her in surprise. Swinton hadn't so much as glanced at Judy the entire time they walked.

"W…what?"

"From here, I can see everything. Every movement that is made, every crime, every purchase; nothing is hidden from me." Swinton said as she walked over to a nearby computer terminal and started to type.

"Not even the savage fox could hide from us" Swinton said as she hit the keyboard with a swish of her hand. The television screens flickered and videos of Nick popped up on screen. Everything from the last couple of days was shown. Nick leaving his house and going to the doctor, Nick entering the clinic entrance to Wilde Times, Nick being kidnapped in front of his house; nothing was left out.

"At first I couldn't have cared less about him but after seeing what he does for work I knew I had to get him off the streets."

Judy looked at her with confusion.

"What could Nick have done to deserve all of this? We've been hunted and shot at for the past two weeks, for what?!"

Swinton looked at Judy with a grin.

"My dear I thought you would never ask."

Once again Swinton typed on the keyboard and brought up another video. This one took over every single screen on the wall. It was a video that looked as if it was taken from a hidden camera. The person who took it was standing outside of Nick's clinic and showed the person entering Wilde Times. Judy's jaw dropped as she saw the smiling visage of Nick greeted people. The person filming stood in line as people rushed to have their collar taken off. They had their collar removed and they were allowed entrance into the park. The footage then showed the person filming walking into the middle of the park, making sure to show off the the person turned to a voice which had started speaking and revealed Nick managing several employees. Judy was shocked to see that Nick was walking around without a collar on.

"My dear bunny, do you have any idea what this means? It means revolution! Without their collars on, predators become savage. What do you think happened in Happytown? If I weren't for my intervention the whole event would have turned our city to ruin. Something like this, in the heart of the city would mean disaster! First, it's all fun and games but then what happens when they don't want it to just be for a few hours? What if they wanted to go about their lives without their collars at all? For the good of the people, I won't allow it! " Swinton said as she watched Judy struggle to process this new information.

"Nick…wouldn't want that. He just…he wanted…"

"Oh don't tell me…he never told you did he?"

"…No," Judy said as she averted her eyes. All this time she thought that Nick was just someone in the wrong place in the wrong time but this changed things. He was not only breaking the law but was actively encouraging others to break the law as well. Judy felt a ball of emotions rise up and settle in her throat; she was torn. She liked Nick and felt sorry for him but this was more criminal than anything she could have expected. She couldn't stand it, she had to think up of some way to defend him; something to make her feel as if she wasn't wrong about him. Swinton mean while pulled out a compact and adjusted her makeup.

"Let me tell you dear, predators are dangerous. You simply cannot trust them. They will lie to you, they will steal from you, and if you aren't careful they will try to kill you. They might try to seem innocent but trust me when I say that they aren't. They can't hide what they truly are: heartless killers pretending to be normal. It's worse enough that they are that way by nature but add on top of that their predisposition to become savage at a moments notice and you can see why they must be controlled. Just as that fox must be controlled. It is because of him that the predator populace has now become more likely than ever to catch savagery," Swinton said, her eyes occasionally darting up to look at Judy.

"That's not true! Nick isn't like that at all. Yeah, he's done some bad things but that isn't because he's a fox! "

"Oh, but look, I am still just a pig. Doesn't mean that I too am not bound by my species attributes. Those predators are biologically programmed to kill, my dear. Certainly you have heard about the events in Happytown? I had to quarantine a whole section just to protect the people from the spread of savagery. Look at how the riot was started by those predators trying to defend that savage cougar. It was obvious that they were starting to catch the first signs by how readily they rushed to him!"

"How did you know it was savagery that caused the riot in Happytown? I heard the protesters had a lot to do with how the riots started!"

"My poor sweet bunny, don't you know anything about savagery? It is a sickness of the mind as well as body. First they get killing stuck in their head and before you know it they are gnawing on your neighbor. Those predators must have liked seeing the attack and wanted to help kill was well. As for those protesters, they were using their right to free speech and they acted in the best interest of the city by trying to apprehend the savage. Are you suggesting that I should have punished the brave civilians that did the public a service?"

"There were police there weren't there? Shouldn't the trained professionals deal with dangers to society, not vigilantes?"

"The police were ineffective before my reforms. With so many predators on the force, they were unable to act on species which they had grown accustomed to. Now they are able to work alongside their prey brethren against the violent predators who threaten their families," Swinton said as she finished with her makeup. She then snapped her fingers at one of the guards. He came over beside her and gave her a file that he took from one of the shelves. Swinton opened it and inside held documents about Judy.

"Judy Hopps is it? Graduated several years ago from the police academy, worked for a year in Bunny Burrow County and then transferred to Bombay Penitentiary. It says here that you were assigned to office work against your wishes, is that correct?" Swinton asked.

"How did you-"

"I am the mayor dear, information is valuable to me and I spend a good amount of time collecting it. I am correct though am I?"

"Yes…you are." Judy said. She disliked spying and was disgusted that Swinton had entered her private life.

"Well dear, how would you like it if I were to get you a lucrative position here in the city?"

"You could do that? I have no qualifications there is no way they would accept me."

"They won't say a single thing if they don't want to have to deal with me. You just have to do me a little favor first and everything will work out." Swinton said as she returned the television screens back to the multitude of video footage of the city.

Judy narrowed her eyes at Swinton. She didn't like where this was going. She might not like that Nick had not told her about his past and she might not like the fact that he had broken the law but that didn't mean she trusted Swinton; no matter how much she might smile and act friendly.

"What kind of favor?" Judy asked.

"My dear, the citizens are scared; for the past two weeks the people have heard on the news that a savage fox was running wild in the streets. At first it seemed manageable but then they hear that he kidnapped you. What were they to think? They waited on baited breath to see if you would turn up dead or not. We need to sate their fear with some hope! Picture it, big announcement from Animalia Stadium. You, the brave policewoman who was kidnapped, have overpowered your kidnapper and brought him in to face justice. It will be a sensation! There will be mass media coverage of the event, all for the purpose of keeping the morale of the people high. I would feel so touched by the event that I would see it fit to reward you a medal for your service to the city. All you need to do is accept it, give a little speech, and wave good-bye as you go to your new job. So what do you say Mrs. Hopps?" Swinton said as she sat down at a nearby desk with legs crossed and her arms folded.

Judy thought this over for several moments. Her whole life all she ever wanted was to be a police officer, one who wasn't afraid to get her paws dirty helping others. Currently her whole career was just being shuffled around an office, stopping her from being of use to anyone. This was her moment to finally attain a position that would allow her to prove that rabbits could be cops as well.. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a black and white video feed playing on a screen on the wall. It was grainy and low quality but she could make out several figures. The video depicted several large animals crowding around a smaller one. They were kicking at it and punching it for a while until they got tired. Then, one of them took the smaller creature by the neck and threw it into a cage in the corner of the room. Judy could just barely make out the figure but the lump in her throat told her it was Nick.

"What do you say dear?"

"I'll…I'll do it."

"Splendid!" Swinton said as she gave her a wicked grin.


End file.
